


the fireworks taste like champagne

by melabsinthium



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: M/M, New Year's Kiss, UshiKitaWeek_2021
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:47:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28466283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/melabsinthium/pseuds/melabsinthium
Summary: Shinsuke liked the way he said his name, a mellow sound in a foreign language he would have loved to learn.
Relationships: Kita Shinsuke/Ushijima Wakatoshi, mentioned: sakuatsu
Comments: 2
Kudos: 19





	the fireworks taste like champagne

Shinsuke navigated the room, partially at loss on what he was supposed to do. People were scattered around, chatting in high voices to be heard over the loud pop music coming from the speakers, enjoying the party Atsumu had arranged. 

Parties weren’t his area of expertise, and he knew most of the people there only by sight, from watching volleyball games on tv. Nevertheless, he was glad he came. 

New Year had always been his favourite holiday. He knew that nothing was going to change, but the enthusiasm of the beginning he saw around him made him giddy. 

He looked around the room. Hinata was teaching Bokuto a Brasilian pop song and Akaashi, at their right, was chatting with Osamu and Rintarou. Atsumu sneaked behind their shoulder, and slowly put a headband with reindeer horns on his brother’s head. 

Osamu looked baffled, it took him a moment to realize what had happened — long enough for Rintarou to snap a pic — before he turned on his hills and tried to kick Atsumu, who dodged with a laugh. 

Shinsuke hid his laugh behind the wine glass and moved towards the food table, in the hope of still finding one of Osamu’s onigiri. 

The last one remained. Shinsuke reached for it but his fingers collided with somebody else’s. He raised his eyes only to find Ushijima Wakatoshi staring back at him. 

“Please, go ahead,” Ushijima said. His voice had a deep rumbling sound. It reminded Shinsuke of sudden thunder in a clear sky, announcing a storm ready to hit. 

“We can share.”

Shinsuke took a knife and carefully split the onigiri vertically in the middle, then took a knife and offered half to Ushijima.

“We haven’t met, have we?” Ushijima asked, without tearing his eyes away from him. He hadn’t started eating his onigiri yet.

“I don’t think so,” Shinsuke said slowly. 

“Ushijima Wakatoshi,”

“I know,” Shinsuke tried to hide a cheeky smile. “I watch the games,” he pointed at Atsumu with his glass. “I don’t really have a choice.”

Ushijima chuckled, a deep sound starting from his chest. Shinsuke introduced himself.

“Nice to meet you, Kita Shinsuke.”

Shinsuke liked the way he said his name, a mellow sound in a foreign language he would have loved to learn. 

-

They met again an hour later, at the alcohol table. 

“Here for a beer?”

“I’m more of a wine kind of guy”

“Good to know,” Ushijima gave him a small smile. “Red or white?”

“White, if it’s cold.”

Ushijima wrapped his hand around the bottle, to check the temperature. Shinsuke couldn’t help but notice the way his long, sturdy fingers almost encircled the entire bottle.

Someone bumped against Shinsuke back, distracting him. 

Sakusa was stomping through the room, with Atsumu trailing behind him like a duckling behind his mother. “I’m not kissing you in front of everyone”

“It’s for good luck!” Atsumu said. “If you kiss someone at midnight you’re gonna stay together the whole year.”

“Who says I want to stay with you?”

“We’re buying this house together!”

Sakusa's answer got lost in the crowd. Shinsuke glanced at Ushijima and they both laughed. 

“So,” Ushijima started pouring him some wine. “How do you know Atsumu?”

“We played together in high-school”

Ushijima eyebrow quirked slightly, “I don’t remember playing against you.”

“I didn’t get to play much,” Shinsuke admitted serenely. He’d never minded how things had been for him in high school.

“Are you still playing?”

“I’m a farmer now”

Ushijima nodded, but didn’t seem to be taken aback by the information as people usually were. In the years he had spent doing his job, Shinsuke had found he didn’t fit the mental image people had of farmers. He had had his fair share of  _ You don’t look like one  _ and  _ But you’re so young _ . It had also meant that he had to struggle a lot to be taken seriously at the beginning, but things had gotten better now. 

“It’s fascinating,” Ushijima said.

“Ever thought about it?” Shinsuke teased. “A physique like yours would always come in handy.”

Ushijima frowned, puzzled. “Why would I?” he asked, serious. “I always knew what I wanted to do. Pondering alternative careers would have been a waste of energy.”

Shinsuke hid his laugh behind the glass, as Ushijima’s eyes never left his face. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I guess you’re right.”

-

Turned out Ushijima was fun to talk to. Shinsuke had listened to some of the National’s team interviews in the past, but he never expected Ushijima to be actually like that in person.

“Why a farmer?” Ushijima suddenly asked. 

They had moved from the alcohol table to a quieter corner of the room, closer to the big terrace windows. Shinsuke leaned back against the wall, still sipping his wine. He was pensive for a moment.

“It suits me, I guess,” he raised his eyes to look at the night sky through the glass. He got so used to seeing the stars in the sky, that the city pitch black dark looked wrong. “It’s nice watching something grow into what it's meant to be,” his eyes wandered on his old teammates, scattered around the room. “Why volleyball?”

Ushijima pondered the question. “I can’t imagine doing anything else,” the corner of his mouth slightly turned upward. “I just like it.” 

Shinsuke was speechless for a moment, there was something soft in him he never imagined. 

Ushijima raised his head, like coming back from whatever thought he was having. “Do you want something else to drink?”

Shinsuke nodded, “I’d like to.”

They were intercepted on their way by Atsumu offering champagne’s flutes. “Almost midnight,” he was shouting, words slurring more than he’d likely like to admit. “On the balcony everyone!”

In the general commotion, they all walked through the glass window of the balcony. Ushijima was still at his side. 

The were on the top floor of the highest building in the neighbourhood. From there, they had a clear sight of the night sky. It was a cold night, snow had started to fall and snowflakes were spotting in white Shinsuke’s black shirt. 

“Ten!” someone shouted from somewhere on Shinsuke’s right, other people joined. At the count of eight, it was a cacophony of voices all following a different rhythm. Shinsuke smiled, looking around him. Ushijima was calling the numbers too, without raising his voice. 

Midnight stroke, fireworks whistled and boomed in the sky, people toasted, shouting  _ happy new years _ . 

Ushijima’s eyes darted around. Every couple around them was kissing, and he was evidently trying not to intrude. He settled for watching the fireworks, coloring the sky in shades of green, yellow and red. The lights brightened his features, softened by a faint smile. 

Shinsuke couldn’t tear his eyes from him. It was still midnight, he decided to stop thinking. 

He tapped on his shoulder, and, when he lowered his head, Shinsuke went to the tip of his toes.

The pungent smell of gunpowder was heavy among them and Ushijima’s lips tasted like the champagne he drank at midnight. Ushijima closed his eyes, forehead against Shinsuke’s and cheeks pink from the cold. 

Kita smiled at him, without covering his mouth. “Happy new year, Ushijima Wakatoshi.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Happy New Year!


End file.
